If a vendor only talks to you about per user pricing, they are showing you one of five cost components. The other four tend to surface later, usually after the contract is signed.
Here is the full picture, with indicative Australian numbers.
The five components of ERP cost
- The initial licence cost, for a perpetual model, or the first subscription term for software as a service
- The annual licence fee or ongoing subscription
- Hosting costs, where applicable
- Implementation consulting fees from the implementing partner
- Ongoing support, training and optimisation
With a true cloud product, there is no initial licence cost and the monthly subscription covers the first three. Budget roughly $100 per full user per month for an entry level system, rising to $300 or more per user per month for more complex businesses.
If you are buying licences upfront instead, expect $2,000 to $3,500 per user, plus an annual maintenance fee of roughly 20 to 25 per cent of the original licence cost.
Implementation is where the money actually goes
Australian consulting rates run from $150 to $300 per hour depending on the platform, the consultant's skills, and the partner's charge out rates. Large complex implementations can reach 1,000 hours or more.
Be wary of any partner who claims they can implement an ERP in under 100 hours. That number is a sales device, not an estimate, and the gap between it and reality will appear as variations once you are committed.
Indicative Australian pricing
The figures below are drawn from accredited Australian partner pricing, vendor published pricing and independent review platforms, and were current as of early 2026. They are estimates, not quotes. Always request a written quote from your shortlisted partners.
- MYOB Acumatica: Standard Edition from approximately $131 per user per month, Advanced and industry specific editions from $200 to $271, and Manufacturing or other specialised editions around $310. Implementation typically $50,000 to $150,000 for small to mid sized deployments, with complex multi entity rollouts exceeding $300,000. Total first year investment ranges from roughly $60,000 to over $350,000.
- NetSuite: negotiated. List is a base platform fee of around US$999 per month plus US$129 to $199 per full user per month, plus module fees. Discounts of 30 to 50 per cent off list are common in Australia. Mid market companies typically spend $50,000 to $200,000 in year one and $50,000 to $150,000 annually thereafter.
- Wiise: published in Australian dollars on annual billing. Business $158, Premium $210, Team Member $23.50 per user per month, plus $84 per device. Payroll add on $5 to $7 per active employee per month. Implementation is partner led, typically $50,000 to $200,000.
- Business Central: Essentials $119.70, Premium $164.60 and Team Members $12 per user per month, indicative and varying by partner. Implementation typically $25,000 to $250,000.
- Epicor Kinetic: not publicly listed, negotiated per deal. Mid market projects often $100,000 to $500,000 or more.
- Odoo Enterprise: Australian partners typically quote $44 to $81 per user per month depending on hosting and apps. Implementation $5,000 to $120,000, with partner rates of $120 to $200 per hour.
- Sage Intacct: from approximately $209 per user per month, rising to $330 or more for more complex requirements. Most Australian deployments land between $25,000 and $75,000 per year in subscription, with implementation of $50,000 to $200,000.
- Pronto Xi: not publicly listed. Modular per user, per module, quoted on request.
Two caveats. Pricing dates quickly, and NetSuite list prices in United States dollars will move with the exchange rate. Implementation costs vary more by partner and scope than by platform.
The single biggest swing factor
Every implementation budget assumes your organisation will engage with the project and allocate proper staff to it. That assumption is doing enormous work.
If your team is well prepared for workshops and design sessions, the project lands close to budget. If your team is disengaged or under resourced, the partner fills the gaps at their hourly rate, and you pay a consulting premium to have someone else do work your own people should have done. This one variable moves projects further than any pricing negotiation.
Where you can take responsibility
- Document your own business requirements in the prescribed format
- Provide clean, validated data in the prescribed format
- Run user acceptance testing with limited support from your implementer
- Train internal staff yourself after a train the trainer handover
- Develop standard forms and reports internally where the capability exists
Other practical savings
- Phase your rollout: core financials first, then operational modules. Avoid big bang where possible
- Avoid customising what configuration can already achieve
- Invest in data cleansing before migration, not after
- Choose a partner with relevant industry experience to shorten discovery
- Negotiate at vendor quarter end, Oracle especially, when sales pressure works in your favour
- Cap annual price uplifts in the contract. NetSuite renewals commonly rise 5 to 8 per cent a year unless capped
Model five years, not one. A platform that looks cheaper in year one can be the more expensive choice by year three once uplifts, module fees and integration maintenance are counted. Build in 15 to 20 per cent above the quote as contingency, and compare like for like across every shortlisted option.
Take the next step
Our full ERP selection guide sets out indicative pricing across all eight platforms alongside honest weaknesses and a ten step selection process. Download the guide.